Boat Cruises from Biel/Bienne, Switzerland

ABOVE: Erlach Castle, Bielersee (Lake
Biel/Bienne).

The
bilingual city of Biel/Bienne makes a fine
jumping-off point for cruises on the Bielersee (Lac de Bienne), Lac de Neuchâtel, and the
Murtensee (Lac de Morat). Swiss lake steamers
ply a variety of routes. The main sailing season is June through September, with some boats
running on a limited schedule from early April until late October. Not all boats stop at
every village along the way, so check schedules carefully if you intend to disembark
between major ports.

All boats have snack bars, and some have restaurants.
(Restaurant reservations are advised for breakfast, lunch, and dinner sailings.)

Most boats carry a limited number of bicycles for a
small fee.

Biel/Bienne - Erlach (Bielersee cruise)

Some of the boats on this route go only to St. Petersinsel (see
next paragraph), but most finish their
journey at Erlach. (See photo above.) The Bielersee is a relatively
small lake with beaches on the southern shore, wine villages on the northern hillsides,
and walking paths that make it easy to combine boat travel with leisurely hikes.

If you're a bird and wildlife buff, allow time for a visit to the nature preserve of St.
Petersinsel or Île St-Pierre (St. Peter's Island). You can visit the
restored inn (a former monastery) where Jean-Jacques Rousseau took a break from
civilization for two months in 1765.

Biel/Bienne - Murten/Morat (Three lakes tour)

In summer only, a boat leaves Biel/Bienne at 9:45 a.m. and
arrives at Murten/Morat at 1 p.m.

The next leg of the itinerary departs Murten/Morat to Neuchâtel
at 2:30
p.m, arriving in Neuchâtel (the largest town in the region) at 3:45 p.m. After a 10-minute stop in Neuchâtel,
the boat returns to Biel/Bienne, arriving at 6:20 p.m.

An audioguide is available at extra cost.

Biel/Bienne - Solothurn (Aare River tour)

Depending on the season, boats
leave Biel/Bienne two or three times a day--except on Mondays, which is the
shipping
company's day off.

The journey down the Aare River to
Solothurn takes about just under three hours. From Solothurn, you can return by
boat or catch one of the frequent trains on the Olten-Solothurn-Biel/Bienne
route. (The rail journey takes only 20
to 30 minutes.)

For more information on lake cruises from Biel/Bienne, including current
fares and timetables, see:

Neuchâtel - Biel/Bienne

If you're staying in Neuchâtel and want to cruise the three
lakes on your way to Biel/Bienne, you may find it more convenient to use this
company:

Navigation Lacs de Neuchâtel
et MoratSelect English or another language, then view the timetables in
PDF format. (Look for a table that reads "Croisière des trois
lacs/Drei-Seen-Schiffahrt." You'll note that there's some overlap between this
company's timetables and the BSG's, since the two firms cooperate with each
other.)

Related articles

Biel/Bienneswitzerlandforvisitors.comA 16th Century old town and a bilingual culture enliven a city that Rolex, Omega, and
Swatch call home.

Neuchâtelswitzerlandforvisitors.comThe capital of Canton Neuchâtel
(a mostly French-speaking canton) is also a watchmaking center. It has an
attractive medieval center and an attractive location on Lake Neuchâtel.